A blog by spcaLA president, Madeline Bernstein

Mar 14, 2013

On March 6th a five foot long white-tipped shark flown from New York to Los
Angeles to be used in the filming of a Kmart commercial exhibited signs of
stress on the set and ultimately died. The shark was treated on set by the
trainer and then taken to a specialist to no avail.

According to a source cited by the Los
Angeles Times, Kmart's request for a replacement shark to be brought out
for the shoot was refused by the production company, Boxer Films, who instead
substituted an animatronic hippopotamus.

The group American Humane Association (AHA) who certifies that "no
animal was harmed in the making of a film" ,who receives funding from the
film industry to monitor animal actors, and who is currently under fire for the
fact that three horses died on set of the HBO show "Lucky" is
investigating the matter.

Notwithstanding the vigor of an actual shoot, the travel back and forth to
and from the location, the living in strange quarters, the strange climate, new
water, and a host of unfamiliar human handlers, are all recipes for disaster.

Although the technology exists to use simulated animals in the entertainment
industry the will to do so does not.

What could you buy in Kmart that is worth the life of a majestic shark?